Five children died in an inflatable bouncy castle accident in the Australian state of Tasmania on Thursday.

Four other children were critically injured when strong wind lifted the inflatable jumping castle at an elementary school's end-of-year party.

Police said several children had fallen from a height of about 10 meters (about 33 feet), and that five of the youngsters had died.

Police said the pupils had been celebrating the last week of classes before the Christmas break when the incident occurred.

The first victims were two boys and two girls, aged around 11 years old. One other child died later in hospital.

"Light winds" had been forecast for the area, which sits on Tasmania's rugged north coast.

'Confronting and distressing'

Footage from local media showed blue tarpaulin sheets shielding what police said was "a very confronting and distressing scene."

ABC reporter Monte Bovill said the scene was hard to put into words. "It’s just devastating," he tweeted.

Multiple ambulances and several helicopters were scrambled to the scene near the state's third-largest town Devonport, in the northwest of the island.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the incident was "just shattering" and "unthinkably heartbreaking."

"Young children on a fun day out, together with their families and it turns to such horrific tragedy, at this time of year, it just breaks your heart," he said.

Tasmania state Premier Peter Gutwein said the incident "simply inconceivable... I know this is a strong and caring community that will stand together and support one another."

rc,dvv,aw/msh (AFP, dpa)